’Looted Palliatives for second wave of Covid - 19'

It was the Late Dele Giwa who advised Late Makama Nupe Alhaji Shehu Musa that whenever, he is caught pants

down, he should keep mum.

Many Nigerian Governors have through the looting of Palliatives in their states been caught pants down but since some of them never knew of the advice of Dele Giwa, are refusing to keep mum and in the process are embarrassing themselves.

The latest is the house to house search for the loot. Like some people have posited, the loots are for the masses and they have been looted by the masses, so what is wrong?

I accept that looting is criminal. But so is the misapplication and misappropriation of state funds.

This brings me to mind of the politics of the second republic in Nigeria and the process for pardoning Ojukwu and Gowon, the principal actors in the Nigerian three year civil war.

The ruling National Party of Nigeria, then pardoned Gowon before Ojukwu. Now Ojukwu ran away during the Civil war and did not return until he was pardoned.

Gowon, who was Nigerian leader during the civil war became a fugitive when he was implicated in the Dimka coup of 1976.

When, then Presidential adviser and later Senate President in the fourth republic, Late Chuba Okadigbo was asked in Nsukka why Gowon was pardoned before Ojukwu, his response was that when two trees fall across a road, the one on top gets removed before the one that fell earlier.

Perhaps the same principle is why the looters of Palliatives are being hounded while keeping mum on those who have been looting our National patrimony.

Their latest crime is the hoarding of the Palliatives. From Lagos State, they were in the process of sharing the palliatives having taken delivery in the second week of September, 2020. Bauchi had  shared theirs between March and August 2020.

Meanwhile the umbrella body of the governors have issued a statement that they did not hoard the palliatives but kept in wait for the second wave of covid - 19.

How thoughtful of the Governors?

It is either that Lagos state is in the second wave of the covid - 19, hence they were in the process of sharing their palliatives or Bauchi does not believe, hence they had shared all theirs by August.

Whichever way, the protest and the aftermath should be a clarion call for a new beginning, in our country.